Over three years, British Columbia undertook a multi-faceted initiative in two of their health regions to reduce HIV incidence and improve the experience of people living with HIV across the full continuum of testing, diagnosis, linkage to care, treatment and support. The Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention (STOP) HIV/AIDS Project, funded by the province’s Ministry of Health Services, presented the opportunity for public health professionals, community-based workers and clinical service providers to focus on ways in which the response to HIV might be made more effective both for people living with HIV and providers.
A significant part of what STOP did, and what they found, is captured in this special package of information and case studies, which detail key initiatives undertaken by the Vancouver STOP HIV/AIDS Project, a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Providence Health Care (PHC) which sought to accomplish the goals of the STOP project within the city of Vancouver.
The STOP Project is unparalleled in Canada, and what these agencies were able to put into practice – and what they learned from doing so – provide insights for any community investigating ways in which it can streamline or improve aspects of its own HIV service delivery.